The European Union
Instructor: Robert Quackenbush
Students: Middle School
Objectives:
1. Students will compare the structures and content of the United States Constitution
against the draft of the European Union Constitution
2. Students will consider various perspectives on the formation of a constitution
3. Students will use the Internet to research the EU Constitution
Materials:
1. At least a dozen computers with reliable Internet access for at least two days of
research.
2. Pens, paper, etc. for taking notes and organizing outlines
Introduction:
This lesson should be given near the end of a unit of the Constitution of the United States,
perhaps immediately following the lessons covering the Constitutional Convention, etc.
Students should already understand how different states’ particular interests shaped the
compromises that comprise the Constitution. The purpose of this lesson is to relate
current events to a similar process that occurred in the United States over 200 years ago.
Student Groups:
Prior to entering the computer lab for the first day of this lesson, students will be assigned
both an American state and a European nation whom the student will represent in a mock
Constitution Convention. Students should receive a state and a nation with comparable
size, power, and economies within the political unit. For example, a student could be
assigned to NY and the United Kingdom, to Pennsylvania and Germany, to Virginia and
France, to Rhode Island and Serbia, etc.
Procedures:
1. Before entering the computer lab on the first day of the lesson, students should
construct a two-column chart. One side of the chart should be labeled with the
American state and the other side with the European nation assigned to the
student. The side for the American state should already have the information
filled out before entering the computer lab. An example of the chart can be found
here (LINK).
2. For about two days, students should work in a computer lab researching the views
of their particular European nation and their interests in the formation of the EU
constitution. Several useful websites are listed at the end of this lesson plan.
3. Students should fill in the information asked for in the graphic organizer, such as
their state/nation’s view on taxation, foreign policy, the executive branch, the
judicial branch, etc., and their importance to the formation of a constitution.
These two days in the computer lab are to prepare them for two days of mock
Constitutional Conventions.
4. After the research is completed, the first day back in the class will be a reenactment/mock Constitutional Convention of 1787 with each student assuming
the role of a representative from their state. The goal of the convention is for the
students (and their states) to debate and come to a compromise on the issues listed
on the graphic organizer. Hopefully, their compromises turn out to be similar to
the actual Constitution of the United States.
5. The next class day will include a mock constitutional convention for the European
Union with each student assuming the role of their European nation. There will be
twice as many EU nations (25) as American states (13), so in order to keep the
debate/convention under reasonable order, only 12 or 13 nations should
participate in the debate of the constitution. Students (and their nations) need to
come to a compromise of the issues listed on the graphic organizer. If an extra
time period permits, then the nations could attempt to find the language for an
actual draft of the Constitution of the European Union.
European Union sources needed for the research
What the EU Constitution says: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2950276.stm#sl
Excerpts from EU Draft Constitution:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/2938272.stm
The European Convention: http://european-convention.eu.int.bivenue.asp?lang=EN
Is the Blueprint Democratic?: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3006156.stm
EU Constitution Conference: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3006156.stm
The Future of the European Union Debate: http://europa.eu.int/futurum/index_en.htm
Evaluation:
Students will be evaluated on their graphic organizers and their
performance/competence in the mock conventions.